Soft Tissue Grafting: Restoring Your Gum Health and Comfort

Soft tissue grafting is often essential for treating gum recession, a common condition that can significantly impact both your oral health and smile appearance. Periodontal disease, trauma, aging, aggressive brushing, and poor tooth positioning are the primary causes of gum recession, which can lead to uncomfortable tooth root exposure in severe cases.

When tooth roots become exposed, you may experience discomfort when eating hot or cold foods, increased risk of decay, and changes to your smile's appearance. Soft tissue grafting addresses these concerns by either covering exposed roots or thickening existing gum tissue to prevent further recession.

Types of Soft Tissue Grafts

We offer three proven grafting techniques, each designed for specific conditions:

Free Gingival Graft – A small strip of tissue is carefully removed from the roof of your mouth and stitched to the treatment area to promote natural growth. This technique is most effective for thickening existing gum tissue.

Connective Tissue Graft – For larger areas or significant root exposure, we harvest subepithelial connective tissue from beneath a small flap in your mouth and suture it to the grafting site. This is our most common treatment for root coverage.

Pedicle Graft – This technique involves "sharing" soft tissue between the affected area and adjacent healthy gum. We partially cut a flap of tissue and move it sideways to cover the exposed root. This method often produces excellent results because the relocated tissue maintains its original blood supply.

Life-Changing Benefits of Soft Tissue Grafting

Recent advances in dental technology have made soft tissue grafting more predictable and less invasive than ever before:

Enhanced Comfort – Root exposure can cause significant sensitivity and pain. Soft tissue grafts cover exposed roots, dramatically reducing sensitivity and restoring comfort when eating or drinking.

Improved Smile Aesthetics – Gum recession can make your smile appear "toothy" or cause teeth to look uneven. Soft tissue grafting restores proper gum contours, creating a more symmetrical, attractive smile.

Better Gum Health – When combined with deep cleaning procedures, soft tissue grafting halts progressive tissue and bone loss while protecting exposed roots from future complications.

What to Expect During Treatment

Your treatment begins with thorough deep cleaning above and below the gum line to remove all calculus deposits. The grafting procedure is typically performed under comfortable local anesthesia, though sedation options depend on the treatment area size.

We create a small incision at the recipient site to form a pocket, then make a precise split-thickness incision. The donor tissue is carefully placed between these sections, with the graft typically extending slightly beyond the incision area for optimal coverage.

We may apply platelet-rich growth factors and tissue-stimulating proteins to enhance healing and encourage faster tissue regeneration. Finally, the site is sutured to prevent tissue movement and protected with specialized surgical materials.

Most patients experience significant gum uniformity and healing within the first six weeks following treatment.

At our Delray Beach practice, we use the latest soft tissue grafting techniques to restore your gum health and give you back a comfortable, confident smile.